Here Our King Is Born
by Aishi-Cc
Summary: What would happen if our Tripitaka had not been the one to released the Monkey King? Here is one idea.


As I mentioned on my Tumblr sneak peak of this fic I was partly inspired to play with darker ideas after reading **Hemorrhage (In My Hands)**, see my bookmarks on AO3. Now other then exploring character flaws and other darker themes then my One Shots these two fics are not related, still go read it I enjoyed it very much. Every Fandom needs some darker What If AUs so here we go, got a good amnesia one already. Not sure how long this will end up being but I am thinking 4-5 chapters by the end. Any ideas, suggestions, scenes, whatever are always welcomed so feel free to share them in a review/comment, or come by my Tumblr and drop me a message or an Ask.

**WarNinGs**: Mentioned Major Charter Deaths, First chaptered fic written for this Fandom, Page Breaks are like commercial breaks, What If AU starting at the end of chapter 1.

**Aishi Say**

"..._I saw him_

_Flames did lick at his skin_

_As the village burned around him_..."

From the song 'Our Hero' sung by Sharm and music by BrunuhVille, see end of AO3 fic, or YouTube, for the video.

**H****OPE IS SLAIN, ALL IN VAIN NIAV NI LLA, NIALS EPOH**

Monkey narrowed his eyes at the roughly human shaped but a bit taller stone beings, staff swinging to crush them when they advanced, "Tell me again why we brought a human into a cave literally crawling with these rock things?"

"Because we didn't have a choice," Pigsy grunted as he swung, stone shattering and cracking on impact. If he was being honest they did, but no one could have predicted this outcome. Monkey may be willing to run head first into danger but even at his most arrogant he would not intentionally endanger Tripitaka. One of his fellow gods sure maybe, but never an unarmed mortal let alone one he knew and cared about.

Sandy shrugged, "It is not like Tripitaka would be any safer outside." There may not be any of the stone men outside but that could only be because they were all inside.

Tripitaka sighed as the gods shouted to each other as they fought, the stone beings kept coming but did not seem to be much of a threat to the gods. No doubt they were meant to wear out the strong and chase off the weak, they were not even armed or pointy. Closing her eyes she replayed how they had ended up in the cave looking for clues.

**HOPE IS SLAIN, ALL IN VAIN NIAV NI LLA, NIALS EPOH**

"Wait the scroll is inside the mountain? Monkey why did you hide one anywhere near a volcano?" Pigsy demanded of the younger looking god. Monkey may have been grieving, and so not thinking straight, but even a child knew fire plus paper equaled bad.

Monkey frowned as he considered his answer, half-eaten sweet held in his hand, arm folded on the table, "It's dormant, besides even demons don't go rock climbing around lava if they don't have to."

"He has a point," Sandy spoke up, blinking then smiling when Monkey held out a sweet for her. Taking the offered reward she stared at it as if it held all the answers she sought before biting into it, humming with pleasure she licked her lips. "Even humans know mountains don't burst into flame for no reason when they have not in lifetimes."

Tripitaka frowned in thought, catching Monkey rewarding Sandy for taking his side like a little brother teaming up with one sibling against another. Pigsy and Monkey had settled into a bit of a brotherly competitive relationship early on, with no serious fighting between the pair she was fine with that. Monkey and Sandy had the most ambiguous relationship, which was no real surprise since Sandy was still learning who she was. It was nice seeing Monkey's gentle side even if he was still short of bickering with Pigsy. "Can lava even hurt a scroll? I mean they are blessed or something right...aren't they?"

Monkey took a bite before titling his head as he chewed, "Not sure if they are warded against lava but the heat yeah." When Pigsy blinked at him he frowned, "I did _listen_ to the Master even if I didn't always understand him."

"I know you did Monkey I was just surprised he mentioned such things to you is all, he must have really seen something in you." Pigsy had heard about Monkey long before meeting his fellow animal moniker carrying god, not everything was exaggerated. If Monkey continued to mature as he was under Tripitaka's guidance the god would be a force to be reckoned with focused and tempered into a weapon god and demon alike should respect or fear. No doubt that was what the Master had seen and so why the leader of the gods had taken Monkey under his wing, making progress but not enough to prevent their fate.

Monkey swallowed as he adverted his eyes, nothing humbled him faster then his failure to protect his mentor and friend, "few others did."

Sandy took a sip of her tea, "Well it makes me feel better knowing normals gods don't know everything either."

Pigsy blinked before chuckling, "The three of us are far from normal which is why we beat Davari, _normal_ gods had been failing for over 400 years."

Monkey titled his head feeling a bit better hearing that, "Pigy's right."

"I tend to be," Pigsy reminded the group as he refilled his plate, passing Sandy and Tripitaka each a sweet while Monkey was distracted.

The long haired male frowned at Pigsy with mock annoyance before continuing as if he had not been interrupted. "If the gods could have defeated the demons with their traditional methods then we would not even be having this conversion because I would still be sleeping in a mountain."

"Sounds peaceful really, well if it was just a nap," Sandy commented mostly to her self as she nibbled from where she was sitting between Pigsy and Tripitaka.

Monkey titled his head at the god who often made such comments, it likely would have been if not for the fact it had been a punishment. "Don't really remember much about it."

"There has to be something special about Monkey," Tripitaka chimed in, she had mostly been listening to Pigsy and Monkey talk and tease each other while she ate. Sandy had said they were becoming a family and the god was not exactly wrong. Monkey preened a bit with a half smirk that was more playful then it would have been when they first met. Pigsy nodded as he ate, keeping his eyes on Tripitaka so she knew she had his attention. Sandy looked thoughtful as she studied Monkey as if trying to see something hidden about him. "Davari did not strike until Monkey was banished, in the vision I saw it was as if they had a cue." Tripitaka turned to Monkey, "How did you remember that if you were already turned to stone?"

Monkey sighed looking down, "My consciousness lingered for a few minutes as my body finished transforming so...so I got to see the start of an attack I was powerless to prevent. I would say the gods planed it but since they lost I'm betting Davari hoped for it."

"Well he has a very long time to regret what he did the bastard," Pigsy mutter as he gave Monkey's arm a gentle nudge since he was using his hands. Monkey gave his fellow god a small grateful smile but said nothing, earning him a slight nod.

"If he was simply after the scrolls then he would have planed for Monkey beyond setting him up. I wonder what he knew that we don't?" Tripitaka was not sure what was so special about Monkey versus another god really. He was a skilled fighter but she had seen he had been trained for that, training he actually worked at. While not at all stupid he was not a genius, a bit unorthodox like Sandy but not wiser then the Scholar. Sandy had impressive powers, Pigsy used his less but they were effective as well. Monkey had his staff she had seen do a few tricks but had not seen him changeling energy as he had in the past. The display she had seen had been impressive but she had not seen anything that should set him aside as someone who needed to be dealt with before the demons had attacked. They had attacked the seat of the gods, even if the Master was dead there were plenty of powerful gods left. Monkey had not seemed to have hurt any of them when they had captured him, nor had he looked physically injured himself so any injuries had healed. With how the gods had reacted she had been surprised he had been able to stand, Monkey was nothing if not stubborn.

Pigsy nudged Monkey, "That was your cue to mention you are the monkey king."

Monkey rolled his eyes at the ribbing, "That goes without saying, _obviously_ we need to think something less obvious."

Pigsy grinned, "So sorry."

"Forgiven," Monkey returned with the same level of snark and a grin of his own.

Sandy looked from one male to another, "What if it is just that obvious?"

"How do you mean Sandy?" Tripitaka asked curious, were they all over thinking this?

"Well...what if the only special thing about Monkey is that he is Monkey?" Sandy frowned when the others blinked at her, she was use to them not always following her logic. "What is so special about Tripitaka?"

Tripitaka looked down embarrassed when both males turned to her, "Nothing really."

"Exactly," Sandy agreed nodding, getting a blink from Tripitaka, an annoyed frown from Monkey, and a thoughtful look from Pigsy. "Tripitaka is special because of how normal she is, how human she is."

"So what you are saying is Monkey is key to restoring the balance of things not because he helped unbalance it but because he is unbalanced himself?"

"Hey?" Monkey muttered mildly offended for himself this time rather then for Tripitaka.

"A bit wordy for me but yes, we are not perfectly enlighten beings and so we are threats where the normal gods are not...it is just a theory," Sandy admitted unsure if she was making any sense.

Monkey curled his fingers around his chin, "No it makes some sense really, the demons know how gods think, what they will do, but Sandy and I don't react to things like normal gods would so we are harder to predict. Davari was a clever demon, most are not that farsighted or that ambitious."

Sandy frowned before looking a bit hopeful, "So you agree with me?"

"I agree it makes sense, we might still be missing something but who knows really?" Monkey shrugged feeling a bit better about his past now, he had not failed the Master as badly as he had feared if Sandy was correct.

Sandy beamed clearly pleased with being right, and Tripitaka smiled patting her shoulder, "Maybe with the scrolls we will find out if we are missing anything?"

"Monkey do you know what was on them?" Pigsy was pretty sure most gods could only guess at what the most sacred scrolls contained.

Monkey frowned as he tried to remember if he had ever heard anything, giving up with a sigh, "Nope, but since one could give demons, and likely also mortals, our immortality it is a safe bet others can offer other powers."

"All the more reason to find the rest of them," Tripitaka reminded the gods, Pigsy had gotten his rest, and Monkey his revenge so they had headed out again. "Now Monkey tell us what you remember about this volcano."

**HOPE IS SLAIN, ALL IN VAIN NIAV NI LLA, NIALS EPOH**

Pigsy frowned at the cave entrance, Monkey could not been keen on going underground after being trapped in rock for so long. The long haired male was glancing at the sky, his posture alert but not as tense as he had been expecting. "So this one eh?"

Monkey turned at the question, eyeing the opening for a moment before nodding, "Yep, that v has only gotten wider with time." A split in the rock above the entrance was rather unique, even after all this time.

"Well it looks like just rock to me," Sandy commented kicking a pebble off the edge with her toes.

"Well volcano are dangerous on the inside mostly," Pigsy explained calmly, the mountain did seem to still be nice and dormant unlike Monkey. "So we just go right in?"

"I did," Monkey answered sticking his hair-stick into his hair since he was not planning on using it in the near future.

"Well there are definitely no humans here, and the innkeeper said no one had any problems when they came near so it is likely safe enough." Tripitaka had not heard of anything screaming demon, monster, bandits, a volcano waking up, anything bad really.

Monkey nodded as he headed towards the entrance, "So what are we waiting for?"

**H****OPE IS SLAIN, ALL IN VAIN NIAV NI LLA, NIALS EPOH**

Monkey gestured at a large rough altar like formation of stone, the scroll sitting upon it dusty but intact looking, "See nothing here but old stone."

Pigsy frowned looking around, "Who or what made this?"

Monkey shrugged, "It was already there and covered in dust when I got here."

"Probably a group who fled a small eruption and simply never returned," Tripitaka mused leaning against a cool stone wall. She did not have a god's stamina, and only Monkey was breathing perfectly normally.

Sandy frowned as she eyed the alter, "You think it was used for good or evil?"

Pigsy shook his head, "No clue, Monkey grab the scroll and we can get out of here, the air in here is so stale."

Tripitaka moved to follow Monkey since she was curious about the altar only to freeze when she heard what sounded like cracking stone. When chunks of stone fell from the walls she felt Monkey pull her close to shield her as the other two moved away from the walls. When the falling stopped they lowered their arms and looked around. Over a dozen boulders of roughly the same size lay littering the stone floor, odd to say the least, "Did that happen before?"

Monkey nodded towards the rocks, "If it had they would still have been here from then. Stay here I'll be right back." Turning from the human the god moved to retrieve the scroll it was time to leave this was getting too weird even for them.

Tripitaka frowned a little annoyed by being told to stay, even if Monkey was right to go alone. She was weaker then the gods and he had been protective of her from the start really, even if he had acted otherwise. Watching the less then cautious god move towards the scroll eyeing his surroundings she smiled just a little, he was learning. The Master may have failed to teach Monkey discipline but she had learned from her mentor who was much like the former leader of the gods. That man had treated her kindly and taught her as a curious child, not like his other students. Monkey seemed to respond better to practical lessons rather then wordy intellectual discussions, show not tell. Having something he valued to protect had focused him as no speeches could, she could temper the god and help him become the great man the Master knew he could become. Saving the world was a task that terrified her but saving one man, saving one man she felt she could do. Sandy was coming along slowly but surly as well, her faith was faltering if not also a bit unnerving. Pigsy needed the less help now that he had freed himself from demon employment, it was nice having one god she could count on to be levelheaded.

When Monkey neared the shrine he paused as if he heard something, Tripitaka frowned hearing nothing herself. Turning to Pigsy and Sandy she noted they seemed weary of something as well, sometimes human senses were a hindrance. When a boulder moved she backed away towards Monkey, not liking the fact the rocks were moving but the floor was not. Even as she drew a breath to call out for Monkey he landed before her, staff ready for a fight. Backing away so he had plenty of room to swing she watched the others engage the rocks as they took on a vaguely human shape. They had no weapons or even spikes so she was not as worried as she had been. The gods knew how to fight and were all armed, striking rock with decades worth of skill behind a god's power.

Monkey pushed forward with a growl she new meant he was in no mood to let anything get within grabbing distance of her. This was not a playful fight this was a serious one, even if the rock men seemed less threatening then some demons they had faced. It did not take long for the few dozen rock men to be dispatched into chunks of rubble of various sizes, the gods eyeing the rocks thoughtfully. Tripitaka sighed softly, no one had been hurt even if Monkey had been oddly serious it seemed he had been wrong about how dangerous the stone men were. Glancing behind her she saw the scroll still waiting to be retrieved so she headed for it, since she was the closest now it seemed logical to do it herself. A few steps forward and the sound of straining rock was heard again and the human froze. Turning her head she blinked as the rocks reformed into their rock men form, "Monkey?"

"Stay there!" Monkey ordered as he narrowed his eyes at the rocks, rolling his shoulders he swung dropping the two nearest rock men before going for more.

**HOPE IS SLAIN, ALL IN VAIN NIAV NI LLA, NIALS EPOH**

Monkey narrowed his eyes at the roughly human shaped but a bit taller stone beings, staff swinging to crush them when they advanced, "Tell me again why we brought a human into a cave literally crawling with these rock things?"

"Because we didn't have a choice," Pigsy grunted as he swung, stone shattering and cracking on impact. If he was being honest they did, but no one could have predicted this outcome. Monkey may be willing to run head first into danger but even at his most arrogant he would not intentionally endanger Tripitaka. One of his fellow gods sure maybe, but never an unarmed mortal let alone one he knew and cared about.

Sandy shrugged, "It is not like Tripitaka would be any safer outside." There may not be any of the stone men outside but that could only be because they were all inside.

Tripitaka sighed as the gods shouted to each other as they fought, the stone beings kept coming but did not seem to be much of a threat to the gods. No doubt they were meant to wear out the strong and chase off the weak, they were not even armed or pointy. Closing her eyes she replayed how they had ended up in the cave looking for clues. Frowning when she remembered the rock men appeared when Monkey got close to the alter, and had reformed when she had done the same. Opening her eyes she debated her next move, the rock men were focused on the gods at the moment. No new ones were falling, awaking, what have you so there did seem to be a limit. Taking a page from Monkey's book she moved a few steps forward, glancing behind her to see if she had made things worst. The rock men littered the cold floor as the last one fell, all was still for a heartbeat before they moved to reform.

If she was right then as long as anyone was close to the altar the rock men would reform again and again but no new ones seemed to form. The scroll had been laying there a long time so no god, demon, or mortal had been able to get to it in 500 years. No doubt they had fallen if they had not managed to run. Gods were strong but even Monkey could only beat up a mountain for so long without feeling it, and if he fell the rest of them had no chance of winning. Monkey grunted when he went down on one knee, glaring upwards before splitting the rock man in half with a savage cry. Mind made up Tripitaka moved to take the scroll, worst case she summoned more and they were forced to make a run for it. The hike, then the climb, now the fighting were taking their collective toll and she decided to trust her gut and just act. Fingers closed around the scroll with a silent prayer to whoever may be listening that this would work and her friends would be safe, there was nothing more she could do.

Tripitaka cried out as she felt a surge of power run through her mortal form, absently surprised it did not hurt more then it did. As she fell back she heard Monkey's distressed call of her name, it sounded so very far away. Dark eyes closed seeing a blur of black with a touch of crimson and gold getting closer before nothing.

**HOPE IS SLAIN, ALL IN VAIN NIAV NI LLA, NIALS EPOH**

Tripitaka groaned as she lifted her head, shaking it in a failed attempt to clear it before coughing. Tasting smoke and feeling heat the young sort of monk looked up, wincing at the too bright flames. Feeling this burning village seemed familiar she frowned trying to place it, she had been to many since taking the name Tripitaka. Swearing she saw a form moving in the flames she squinted trying to make it out as it seemed to move closer. Her watery eyes finally could make it out well enough to cause her to instantly relax, burning buildings around her forgotten. "Mon...key..."

The Monkey King walked through the burning village, it had been aflame too long to bother being preoccupied with the mortals who had once called this place home. Sensing something that felt almost vaguely familiar the god moved calmly towards it, flames of no concern. Spotting an intact prone from he frowned in thought but continued forward, curiosity almost always beat out caution. The stranger lifted their head and tried to see through smoke stung eyes, with little seeming success. Slowing as he neared he did not miss a relived smile, as if they had been waiting for him to come and deliver them form this dead place. When a hoarse voice managed to get out his name before the figure slumped back to the ground he blinked, it felt like another life since anyone mortal or otherwise had looked on him as a savior. "Odd, I thought the mortals had all fled when Princess Locke's forces had come?"

The god turned to the demon construct who had come to stand at his side, "Who?"

"The demon who rules this land, she is a greedy thing even trying to keep your crown from me," The Font Demon answered frowning down at the mortal.

Monkey nodded absently, now was not the time or place for a long history lesson even if he cared to hear one, "So she did this...that was..._unwise_ of her."

"She will be corrected in time my lord, for now I must get you to my master," The Font Demon could care less what happened to any demon he did not serve.

Ignoring the somewhat subtle demand to go Monkey knelt down and took the human in his arms, lifting them from the ground as if they weighed no more then a kitten. The mortal was dressed in a simple dress of white, amazing still mostly clean for where they were found. A quick look down conformed the human was a she, her lack of hair curious but not at all unflattering. She sighed softly as she leaned into him, snuggling close as if drawing comfort from his touch. Confused he stood still until she settled with a content little sigh, it was adorable really. Tilting his head he gave her a slight but fond smile, it felt good to be trusted again. "What is your story I wonder?"

"We need to leave this place you are still weak my lord, being caught out in the open will not help our cause." The Font Demon eyed the girl but quickly ignored her, what danger was a human girl to a god or demon?

Monkey sighed annoyed at the reminder of his weaken state, frowning at the pale male he curled his lip, "If you are lying about Davari you will get to see just how weaken I really am _demon_. You are right though I don't have my staff or my full powers, yet."

The Font Demon nodded, the god would regain his power slowly now that he was free, his weapon was being hunted for in the home of the man who had held the crown. Tripitaka was laying dead, the so called Scholar and his little girl lay nearby. The so called Resistance had been dealt a mighty blow this night, while the demons once again had the Monkey King to use against the remaining gods. "Bring the girl if you wish but we must go, my master will be delighted to see you again."

Monkey frowned, the idea of Davari still being alive because he was a demon still did not sit well with him, "It does, lead the way then already Blondie."

**H****OPE IS SLAIN, ALL IN VAIN NIAV NI LLA, NIALS EPOH**

Yep Davari sent his minion to free Monkey and he got both Tripitaka unlike in the show, hence the mentioned major character death warning. So that was chapter 1 hope you enjoyed it enough I will see you again for 2 and beyond.


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